The invention relates to a floating pontoon craft, such as a pontoon boat, and particularly to a bracket for supporting the deck thereof. Herein, a pontoon craft according to the present invention encompasses not only vessels such as boats, but also includes floating swimming/diving and/or work platforms, and floating docks to which vessels may be secured. The deck support bracket, which is usually made from extruded aluminum, is normally attached to the outer surface of a pontoon and underlies the deck, which extends between two parallel pontoons which are, in general, elongate hollow members which may be cylindrical and are usually made of aluminum.
Pontoon craft, and the pontoons therefor, are available in various lengths. For example, a single manufacturer may produce pontoon boats of similar design in 20, 22, 24 and 28 foot lengths. The decks of pontoon craft, which extend between the pontoons, are typically formed from standard sized sheets of wooden plyboard and extend substantially over the entire length of the pontoons. Previous pontoon boats have, intermediate the pontoons and the deck, a plurality of individual deck support brackets, which are typically short aluminum extrusions having a somewhat inverted U-shaped cross-section. These individual, discrete, short deck support brackets are distributed, perhaps at irregular intervals, along the lengths of the generally inboard and outboard sides or edges of the longitudinal upper surface of each pontoon. The inboard and outboard deck support brackets are aligned across the boat in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the pontoons, at various positions along the length of the boat. Thus, in sectional views taken across the width of a pontoon boat having two pontoons, at various locations along the boat's length, it would be seen that the inboard brackets are adjacent one another, separated by the distance between the pontoons, and lie between the two outboard brackets. Each of these four brackets is provided with an aperture through which a bolt extends for attaching an elongate cross member, which may have, for example, a C- or Z-shaped cross-section. The shortness in length of the individual deck support brackets allows access to the cross member-attaching bolt or nut from the open end of the extruded bracket. The cross members extend between the pontoons, generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axes thereof, the lower surface of each cross member abutting the upper support surfaces of a set of laterally-aligned deck support brackets. The plyboard deck members are then disposed upon the upper surfaces of the cross members and attached thereto by means of, for example, adhesive and bolts. Depending on the length of the boat, or the desired structural strength thereof, a different number and/or spacing of cross members may be required, in turn requiring, in previous pontoon boats, varying numbers and longitudinal spacings of deck support brackets.
The spacing and number of the short, individual deck support brackets along the length of the pontoon boat depend on the required spacing and number of cross members, which vary with the length of the boat being manufactured and/or its desired structural strength. Thus it can be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that pontoon boats of differing lengths require a different number and/or placement of the individual deck support brackets along the length of each pontoon, thereby requiring unique weld fixturing for each length boat. Further, if additional cross members or a different placement of cross members are desired, then additional individual deck support brackets must be attached to the pontoons or the distribution scheme of the brackets along the pontoons must be revised. Either of which requires unique weld fixturing and perhaps additional labor. Moreover, because each individual deck support bracket is separately welded to its respective pontoon, a great number of welds may be required to attach the requisite number of brackets. A way of accommodating varying pontoon craft lengths with deck support brackets requiring simple weld fixturing, fewer welds and less labor is desirable.
As viewed from the outboard side of previous pontoon boats, the plurality of short, individual deck support brackets, perhaps irregularly spaced along a pontoon, and the attaching welds associated therewith, are rather unsightly. A way of improving the appearance of a pontoon craft by providing a continuous deck support bracket which extends along substantially the entire length of a pontoon while allowing access to the cross member-attaching fasteners, and covering the bracket-attaching welds is also desirable.
A plurality of short, individual deck support brackets attached along the length of a pontoon, may also provide less rigidity to the craft than is desired, and may also induce undesirably high stresses at localized points along a pontoon. A way of adding rigidity to the pontoon craft while spreading stresses more evenly along the pontoons is also desireable.